Supreme Leader Snoke
'Snoke '''was an enigmatic figure who rose to power as the ''Supreme Leader ''of the First Order, through clever scheming and corrupting influence. Wanting to establish his supremacy over the galaxy through strength of arms, Snoke pulled the strings that led to the fall of the Jedi Order, the destruction of the New Republic and the descent of Kylo Ren into darkness. Snoke is a minor antagonist in ''The Force Awakens, the secondary antagonist of The Last Jedi ''and a background character in ''The Rise of Skywalker. '' History Background A mysterious being strong in the Dark Side, Snoke was a seeker of archane lore and a master of the Force. Ancient beyond reckoning, he lurked in the Unknown Regions, from where he planned his eventual takeover of the galaxy. At some point, Snoke allied himself with Darth Sidious, becoming an asset of his Contingency in the event of his demise. He made no secret from his desire to eventually lay claim to the title of ''Galactic Emperor ''one day, however, serving himself the most while proving himself a valuable ally to Sidious. After the collapse of the Galactic Empire, he associated himself with several higher-ups within the Imperial Remnants, becoming a valuable ally to their cause. Together they founded the First Order - a military junta viewed as the successor of the Empire. Using guile and trickery, Snoke gained the allegiance of Armitage Hux and Imperial war veterans, allowing him to ascend to the position of "Supreme Leader". As the unquestioned ruler of the First Order, he maintained command through Hux and his own inner circle of officers, while he himself remained aboard his flagship, the ''Supremacy. Seeking to impose his vision, Snoke paved the way for Ben Solo's descent into darkness and the downfall of the Jedi Order. The newly-christened "Kylo Ren" became one of the main instruments of his will, being sent out to enforce the First Order's authority or to look for the possible location of Luke Skywalker. While his apprentice searched the galaxy for the last Jedi, Snoke put his puppet, Hux, in charge of the construction of Starkiller Base on Ilum - once the site of a kyber crystall cave for the proud Jedi Order. War with the Resistance Pressing matters at hand Informed by the Guavian Death Gang that BB-8 - the droid possessing the map to Luke Skywalker - is aboard the Millennium Falcon, Snoke summons Armitage Hux and Kylo Ren to him. Giving his approval to use Starkiller Base for the destruction of the New Republic, he then converses with his apprentice on the test of allegiance that draws near: Ren will be offered a chance at redemption by his father Han Solo and it is up to him to resist. An awakening in the Force After Kylo Ren has taken Rey prisoner for interrogation, he is shocked to discover her immense Force-sensitivity. Troubled, he contacts his master and tells him of his failure to obtain the map from her mind. Outraged at his apprentice's incompetence, Snoke orders Hux to oversee the preparations for the Resistance's imminent defeat. Still intrigued by Rey's potential he demands that Ren bring her before him. New instructions Despite being on the brink of triumph, the First Order suffered a crippling setback when Starkiller Base was critically damaged by the Resistance. Realizing this and having tested Kylo Ren's worth, Snoke commanded the frightened Hux to leave and come to him with his apprentice. Tying the Resistance to the edge of a string Forging a Force Dyad Upon the loss of the Mandator IV-class Siege Dreadnought Fulminatrix and the Resistance's evacuation of D'Qar, Snoke contacted Hux and expressed his disappointment in his puppet's performance, via sweeping him on the floor before the entire crew. Assured that the Resistance was tied to the edge of a string, he recalled Hux to the Supremacy ''and congratulated him on his usefulness. He then summoned Kylo Ren, reprimandingg him for his repeated failures and him being unable to carry out Darth Vader's legacy. Angered and conflicted, Ren tried to rise up, only to be blasted with Force lightining. Betrayed by Kylo Ren All went according to his designs: the conflicted Ren formed a bond with Rey (which unknown to the two was of his own making), the Resistance fleet was pursued and was losing fuel and the location of Luke Skywalker would soon be revealed. As required of his scheme, Ren brought Rey before Snoke's throne. The Supreme Leader sarcastically revealed his perceival of his apprentice's weakness and betrayal, but nonetheless extended his hand to Rey. When she refused to either join with him or reveal Skywalker's hiding spot, Snoke sadistically tortured her and showed her how her allies would soon be destroyed, in an attempt to lower her morale. When she drew her lightsaber, Snoke lost hope in submitting Rey and instead resolved to have Kylo Ren execute her. Boasting on his might, he misinterpreted his apprentice's thoughts, resulting in him being bisected in two. Secrets revealed The hidden Supreme Council It was not until sometime after he proclaimed himself Supreme Leader that Kylo Ren learned the extent of his master's secrecy: Snoke had kept his inner circle - the Supreme Council - in reserve to assume command in the event of his demise. Unable to ascertain his own authority by himself, Ren recognized the power wielded by the likes of Allegiant General Enric Pryde and sought to use, for his own ends. Connection to the Sith Emperor Delving into the mysteries hidden within Snoke's bases spread throughout the Unknown Regions, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren came to the realization that his former master had been backed by another unseen force. After a message was sent to the galaxy from the reborn Darth Sidious, Ren tracked him to the Sith world of Exegol. Within the walls of the Sith Citadel, the dark warrior was confronted with the truth that the Sith Eternal - a group of Sith loyalists - had taken an interest in him as the heir to the Throne of the Sith. Moreover, Sidious revealed that he had seemingly had a role in Snoke's rise to power. (Several copies of the latter's body were kept in a bacta vat within the Sith Emperor's chambers). Unwittingly, Snoke had acted as a final test for Kylo Ren: his apprentice killed him out of pure hatred for him and motivated by revenge and a thirst for power - characteristic for a Sith Lord - making him the perfect candidate to inherit the Final Order. Appearances * ''The Force Awakens (Appears in hologram) * The Last Jedi * ''The Rise of Skywalker ''(clone bodies) Category:Antagonists Category:First Order Category:Characters Category:Leaders Category:Darkness